Ideology further reading tasks

The World Of Mockingjay: Ideology, Dystopia And Propaganda

Capitalism and socialism both are 19th century ideological tags; they delude and ensnare, as do all ideologies. Zealots for “democratic capitalism” seem to have forgotten that it was Karl Marx who made the word “capitalism” a theoretical concept. In this case in the Hunger Games shows these capitalist ideologies by using their form of media to promote their propaganda. Capitalism is said to rest with people with power and in this case the people with power are the capitol as they aim to profit out of these hard times and try to industrialise the current time in order to build an economy at the expense of normal people. The capitalist ideologies shown by the Capitol 
Those with power also control what people should and are allowed to know by spreading their ideologies through the use of their media and propaganda. Symbols of hope are also used on the other side to combat-en these ideologies in order to free themselves from the ideas that are being forces on them. The protagonist in acts as this symbol, a "Mocking jay", this connotes a sign of rebellion against the Capitol.
The Hunger Games shows everyone that just because you are being fed with opinions with people with much more power doesn't mean that you have to follow their ideologies and that your free and have your own mind to make assumptions and believe what you want to.

Page 48: They Live - Understanding Ideology

Money=Happiness 
consumer goods=fulfilment
Marriage/family/children=Happiness 
Obedience/work-fulfilment

Hegemony is the ability of the dominant class to project its own way of seeing the world so that those who are dominated by it (the masses), accept it as 'common sense' and 'natural'. Gramsci's theory suggests that people in society with power, for example the government could maintain their power by use of force, like a dictatorship or by the use of ideas which would help economies and help build trust with the people, like a democracy. Ideologies are also very easily accepted as the people place their trust in those with power.

The idea of power being placed onto someone rather then being forced on them is part of Gramscis theory. Ideologies are passed down from the rich and elite in Western society, they are quite easily accepted as that is how people think they should be living their lives or how people want them to be living them. Common ideologies associated with Western culture is that money brings happiness. 

Althusser is a French Marxist theorist. His view was that ideology is the greatest material power and dominates our day to day to lifes through two key forms of control:
Repressive state of control- RSA, the elite of society: Government, courts and police
Ideological state Apparatuses- controls more of the common sense aspects of ideology this includes groups such as church and the media.

I do think that to a certain extent we are unwilling controlled by the Media as it is a part of our day to day life. It influences our morales, belief's and ideologies. If people saw on a billboard that smoking is good for you more people would start to smoke even though it has serious effects on your health but this could just go to show how unquestioned the media is.